THE shedding of innocent blood is a grievous sin in the sight of God. Cain offered a bloodless sacrifice, and rose up against Abel, who offered of the firstlings of the flock, and slew him. It was innocent blood. And the blood is the life (Lev. 17:14). He had done nothing to deserve death at his brother’s hand. The Lord said unto him, “What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Gen. 4:10). It was the work of Satan. Cain, who was of that wicked one, slew his brother (1 John 3:12). God’s judgment came upon him, and he became a hard toiler, a fugitive, and a vagabond in the earth (Gen. 4:12). He is a picture of the world that has shed the blood of Christ, and offers false worship, toiling and wandering away from God. “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain” (Jude 11).
Manasseh shed innocent blood, very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another (2 Kings 21:16). The judgment of God came upon His people, for his sins, “and also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon” (2 Kings 24:1-4). “Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.... Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people” (Psa. 106:37-40). Again, “Also, in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these” (Jer. 2:34).
And again, “Behold,” saith the Lord, “I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle. Because they have forsaken me,... and have filled this place with the blood of innocents” (Jer. 19:3, 4).
And again, in Matthew 23:33-39, we find the righteous blood of God’s servants and saints of old charged upon His guilty, earthly people; and in Revelation 18:6 the false Church, drunken with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus. Fearful retribution is yet coming upon both.
In all this we see the holy jealousy of God. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psa. 116:15). Neither will He allow men to shed innocent blood with impunity. “The life of all flesh is the blood thereof” (Lev. 17:14) And He watches over the lives of His creatures.
Further, when Israel came into Canaan, the Lord ordained cities of refuge for the shelter of the manslayer who killed his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past, or accidentally (Deut. 19), that he might escape the avenger of blood, “that innocent blood be not shed in thy land,... and so blood be upon thee.”
Fearful is the judgment of God on the shedders of blood, as revealed in Scripture. But there is one act of man, standing out in all its awful enormity, that puts all other wickedness into the shade, and that is the shedding of the blood of Jesus, God’s own Son. In infinite love He sent Him. Man, in the deep-seated wickedness of his heart, exclaims, “This is the heir, come let us kill him” (Matt. 21:38). Holy from the cradle to the cross, yet the world shed His blood. Judas, His betrayer, cried in the agony of remorse, “I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.”
And the heartless answer of the chief priests and elders was, “What is that to us? see thou to that.” And all this for thirty wretched pieces of filthy lucre! And Judas hanged himself. “He remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken of heart” (Psa. 109:16).
“I am innocent of the blood of this just person, see ye to it,” said the poor blinded heathen Pilate.
“Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matt. 28:25). Fearful, indeed, has been the retribution already on that guilty race (Matt. 22:7), but yet more terrible will it be in the future (Matt. 24:21, 22). They shed the innocent blood.
And not only so, but the whole world stands guilty at the bar of God, and subject to judgment (John 1:10; Acts 17:29-31; Rom. 3:19). The wrath of God is already revealed from heaven. If the blood of Abel cries for vengeance, how much more the blood of Jesus, acknowledged as innocent by His betrayer, and by His judge? Alas! poor world, that lieth in the wicked one, guilty of innocent blood, what wilt thou do in the day of righteous vengeance? Thy guilt, like Israel’s, is not found out by secret search; the murder of God’s Beloved was a public act before heaven and men. No proofs are needed; thou professest thyself to celebrate His birth and death. The presence of the Holy Ghost on earth is a full witness to thy damning guilt. Where then, sinner, will you be? When Manasseh filled Jerusalem with the blood of innocents, judgment came. The Lord would not pardon. Alas! for all those who pass heedless on their way, and are overtaken by the pouring out of the threatened wrath of God. They shall not escape (1 Thess. 5:3). There will be no pardon then. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom. 12:19).
But, oh, the magnificence of the grace of God, flowing without bound at this present moment to a lost and guilty world, on the ground of the infinite worth of that same innocent blood. Crying for judgment on all the impenitent, it pleads for mercy for all till judgment come. Under His blood you may find shelter today, and in Him a tower of salvation―a city of refuge. The ignorant, the careless, and even the willful, may find a refuge in Him today. There is no limit to the efficacy of His precious blood; it cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7). It speaks today before God, on behalf of all, and long-suffering grace stays off the execution of judgment richly deserved. Woe to that man who despises the forbearance of God! Woe to that heartless professor who tramples the blood of Christ under foot! Woe to him who dares to stand before God, unsheltered by the innocent blood of God’s holy One!
Will any soul dare to plead its own innocence in His holy sight? Away with such blind folly and unbelief. The day of innocence was truly short-lived. One couple only ever knew it. That mantle was left in Paradise. None ever wore it outside. The robe of Divine righteousness alone can clothe you before God today. Christ is that. The Holy One, Jesus, the Lamb of God, without spot or blemish, has died. Innocent blood has been shed, and it alone can cleanse your guilty stains, and in Him alone can you meet the eyes of a holy God. Sinner, will you stand there? Will you let self go, both bad self and good, and trust now for eternity to the precious blood of Christ? Men risk and venture much in this world for gold and honor. But with Christ all risk and venture are gone, and eternal wealth and honor are yours.
Innocent blood has been shed. The whole world is guilty. God will by no means clear the guilty in the day of judgment. He will not pardon them in that day. But pardon, full, free, and eternal is offered now. None can afford to despise it; to do so is to reap the fruit of your folly in endless woe. Dare you? Sinner, we plead with you while it is called today. Repent of your sin, judge yourself before God, and flee while you may to the city of refuge, to Christ. Tomorrow may be too late.
God’s love has been manifested, His grace is revealed. The Father waits for returning prodigals. The Son seeks you, poor lost one. The Holy Ghost, maybe, is working in your conscience now. Angels are looking on. We pray you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, be ye reconciled. The music will strike up and the dancing begin (Luke 15:25), so soon as you have returned. What a happy change from the degradation, poverty, and wretchedness of this world of sin!
The innocent blood cries for vengeance. The innocent blood pleads for mercy. Vengeance on the impenitent, mercy for the penitent. Trust therein in self-judgment; it will meet all your need. Washed in that precious flood, every spot shall be removed, every stain blotted out, every scar, every wound of sin be forever healed. Whiter than snow shall you, hitherto a wretched, conscience-stricken sinner, stand with joy and liberty before Him, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, in whose sight even the heavens are not clean. Praise Him, praise Him ten thousand times, yea, praise Him forever and ever, all ye saved ones, for the infinite value of the precious blood of Jesus. May He give you now to join in the praise.
E. H. C.